Letters

June 24, 2004

Fireworks Cause

Some Harm, Too

Baseball is not fireworks. Fireworks is not baseball. Baseball occurs within a stadium, in this case New Britain Stadium. Fireworks occur outside the confines of this stadium, being shot off within feet of residences in both New Britain and Berlin. I acknowledge there are two sides to every issue, but this is the side of some of those who are directly impacted. I ask that you respect our view. We understood and respected your quality of life issue when it came to such things as the expansion of the New Britain Museum of Art into Walnut Hill Park and the addition of a cell tower to Stanley Quarter Park. I am positive not every resident in the neighborhoods surrounding these are agreed with those who fought them, but quality of life is important to all.

Imagine a baseball stadium in your backyard. Bright lighting, the loud music of an organ or a PA system, the sound of bats, the stomping and cheering of crowds and so forth. There is no noise barrier, and unlike East Hartford, which went out of its way for surrounding residences and towns to address keeping the noise within Rentschler Field, New Britain has not.

These fireworks shake homes; produce extreme noise that affect some small children, elderly, animals, war veterans; create smoke that fills some homes; produce debris that showers homes, automobiles, and property for miles; and litters Willow Brook Park, its wetlands and its brook. The noise is against every federal guideline and state and local ordinance on noise. If these laws were made to protect the rights of citizens and their quality of life, then please tell me why a business does not have to comply to the written law and why a government does not see that they do?

There is no direct correlation between fireworks and filling stadium seats, at New Britain Stadium or at any stadium for that matter. Often a newspaper or other media source will speak of a sold-out crowd. This reflects the number of tickets sold, not the number of bodies in the seats. Everyone has watched or attended a sporting event. You have either viewed or been part of a sold-out crowd where there is no scheduled fireworks display. It is what fans do. They attend out of passion for the sport and to support the team.

Nor is the success of a team dependent on fireworks displays, but on several factors coming together and a little bit of luck. Fireworks did not save Connecticut's New Haven Ravens.

It's easy to dismiss our issues in our residential area when you do not live in the immediate area and only know the splendor of a firework display and do not experience the consistent costs -- both personal and in dollars. This is not an anti-baseball or anti-compromise group, but baseball is not about fireworks and fireworks are not baseball.